Soft Drink Manufacturing Industry Profile

Companies in this industry manufacture soft drinks and artificially carbonated beverages. Major companies include US-based global giants Coca-Cola, Keurig Dr Pepper, and PepsiCo, as well as Britvic (UK), Red Bull (Austria), and Suntory (Japan).

Global sales of carbonated drinks are expected to reach more than $620 billion from 2024 to 2028 at a compound annual growth rate of more than 6%, according to Statista. Italy, France, Spain, and the UK, are among the major markets in terms of revenue.

The US soft drink manufacturing industry includes about 550 establishments (single-location companies and units of multi-location companies) with combined annual revenue of about $40 billion.

The soft drink manufacturing industry is part of the nonalcoholic beverage industry, which also includes ice and bottled water manufacturing and is covered in a separate industry profile. Companies primarily engaged in bottling and distributing soft drinks are not included in the industry.

COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE

Demand for soft drinks is driven by consumer tastes and demographics. The profitability of individual companies depends on effective marketing. Large companies have economies of scale in production and distribution. Small companies can compete by introducing new products, catering to local tastes, or selling at lower prices. The US industry is highly concentrated: the top 50 companies account for about 90% of revenue.

Largely due to the high costs of shipping a heavy product, US imports and exports of soft drinks are relatively low. Imports ...